Alabama

Alabama NFL roundup: Jameson Williams: ‘The start of me being me’

Published

2 years ago

September 9, 2024

Alabama NFL roundup: Jameson Williams: ‘The start of me being me’

Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams had an abbreviated rookie season as he recovered from a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered in his final game at Alabama.

His second season got off to a late start as he served an NFL-imposed suspension for violating the league’s gambling policy.

Williams started his third season on time on Sunday night, and he was ready out of the gate.

Williams had five receptions for 121 yards and one touchdown and a 13-yard run in the Lions’ 26-20 overtime victory against the Los Angeles Rams.

“I never got a game ball,” Williams said while holding one after the victory. “Not at Bama, not a nowhere. I ain’t even going to lie, this thing right here might not leave my hands. I might sleep like this.”

Williams caught a 52-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jared Goff as Detroit took a 17-3 lead with 10:29 left in the third quarter.

Williams recorded the first 100-yard receiving game of his career. His previous high had been 69 yards.

“Me, personally, I expected to have a big game,” Williams said. “I guess it’s just big to the world because it’s my first one. But I plan to have a lot more. I don’t plan on this being the best game of my career. I plan on this just being the start of me being me.”

Williams was among the 40 former Alabama players who got on the field on the first Sunday of the NFL’s 105th season.

Four other former Alabama players were involved in the Los Angeles-Detroit game:

· Terrion Arnold started at cornerback for the Lions. Arnold made eight tackles in his NFL debut. Arnold joined Detroit in the first round of the NFL Draft on April 25.

· Brian Branch started at safety for the Lions. Branch made seven tackles, recorded one tackle for loss and broke up three passes.

· Rams tight end Miller Forristall is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 40 yards and one touchdown on 11 carries and caught four passes for 34 yards. Gibbs scored on a 1-yard run as Detroit took a 10-3 lead with 1:57 left in the first half.

In the other Sunday games:

Pittsburgh Steelers 18, Atlanta Falcons 10

· Steelers cornerback Anthony Averett is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Minkah Fitzpatrick started at safety for the Steelers. Fitzpatrick led Pittsburgh with seven tackles, including six solo stops.

· Najee Harris started at running back for the Steelers. Harris ran for a game-high 70 yards on 20 carries and had a 9-yard reception.

· Falcons safety DeMarcco Hellams is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

· Falcons running back Jase McClellan was designated as a game-day inactive.

Buffalo Bills 34, Arizona Cardinals 28

· Bills safety Kareem Jackson is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Bills wide receiver Tyrell Shavers in on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Jonah Williams started at right offensive tackle for the Cardinals. Williams left the game in the second half with a knee injury and did not return.

· Mack Wilson (Carver-Montgomery) started at inside linebacker for the Cardinals. Wilson matched his career high of nine tackles, first achieved on Dec. 29, 2019, in the Cleveland Browns’ 33-23 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Wilson also had one tackle for loss and one pass breakup in his first game with Arizona. Wilson joined the Cardinals in the offseason as a free agent.

Chicago Bears 24, Tennessee Titans 17

· J.C. Latham started at left offensive tackle for the Titans in his first NFL game. Latham joined Tennessee as a first-round selection in the NFL Draft on April 25.

· Calvin Ridley started at wide receiver for the Titans. Ridley had three receptions for 50 yards in his first game for Tennessee. He joined the Titans as a free agent during the offseason.

New England Patriots 16, Cincinnati Bengals 10

· Patriots wide receiver Javon Baker was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore is on the non-football illness list and not eligible to play. A problem with blood clots has sidelined Barmore.

· Bengals safety Jordan Battle did not record any stats.

· Bengals wide receiver Jermaine Burton did not record any stats in his NFL debut.

· Anfernee Jennings (Dadeville) started at outside linebacker for the Patriots. Jennings made one tackle

Houston Texans 29, Indianapolis Colts 27

· Will Anderson Jr. started at defensive end for the Texans. Anderson made two tackles and recorded one tackle for loss.

· Colts defensive tackle Raekwon Davis did not record any stats in his first game with Indianapolis. Davis joined the Colts as a free agent in the offseason.

· Texans linebacker Christian Harris is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

· Ryan Kelly started at center for the Colts.

· Texans wide receiver John Metchie III was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Henry To’oTo’o started at linebacker for the Texans. To’oTo’o led Houston with seven tackles, recorded one tackle for loss and broke up one pass.

Miami Dolphins 20, Jacksonville Jaguars 17

· Dolphins guard Lester Cotton (Central-Tuscaloosa) did not record any stats.

· Dolphins defensive tackle Da’Shawn Hand made two tackles.

· Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones dressed for the game but did not play.

· Cam Robinson started at left offensive tackle for the Jaguars.

· Jaguars running back Keilan Robinson is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

· Tua Tagovailoa started at quarterback for the Dolphins. Tagovailoa completed 23-of-37 passes for 338 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions and had an 11-yard run. Tagovailoa threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tyreek Hill as Miami cut Jacksonville’s lead to 17-14 with 2:08 left in the third quarter.

TUA TAGOVAILOA SPEAKS UP, MIAMI DOLPHINS COME BACK

· Jaylen Waddle started at wide receiver for the Dolphins. Waddle had five receptions for 109 yards, including a 63-yarder. He also had a 3-yard run. Waddle recorded the 11th 100-yard game of his NFL career.

New Orleans Saints 47, Carolina Panthers 10

· Saints cornerback Ga’Quincy “Kool-Aid” McKinstry (Pinson Valley) made two tackles in his NFL debut. McKinstry joined New Orleans in the second round of the NFL Draft on April 26.

· Panthers defensive lineman LaBryan Ray (James Clemens) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· A’Shawn Robinson started at defensive end for the Panthers. Robinson reached a career high with nine tackles in his first game for Carolina. He joined the Panthers as a free agent this offseason. Robinson previously had five games with eight tackles.

· Bryce Young started at quarterback for the Panthers. Young completed 13-of-30 passes for 161 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions and ran four times for 12 yards and one touchdown. Young’s 3-yard run with 4:45 left in the third quarter was the first rushing touchdown of his career.

BRYCE YOUNG’S SECOND NFL SEASON STARTS WITH AN INTERCEPTION

Minnesota Vikings 28, New York Giants 6

· Giants offensive tackle Evan Neal dressed but did not play. Sunday’s game was the first in Neal’s career for which he was active, but he did not start. Neal missed nine games last season because of ankle injuries.

· Vikings kicker Will Reichard (Hoover) made four extra-points in his NFL debut. Reichard joined Minnesota as a sixth-round pick in the NFL Draft on April 27. He did not attempt a field goal in his first game.

· Vikings outside linebacker Dallas Turner made three tackles and recorded one sack in his NFL debut. Turner joined Minnesota in the first round of the NFL Draft on April 25. Turner registered his first NFL sack when he took down New York quarterback Daniel Jones for a 4-yard loss on a first-and-10 snap from the Giants 41-yard line with 14 seconds left in the first half.

Los Angeles Chargers 22, Las Vegas Raiders 10

· Bradley Bozeman (Handley) started at center for the Chargers.

· Chargers defensive tackle Justin Eboigbe was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Chargers offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Chargers punter JK Scott had a 47.4-yard average on seven punts, with a 37.7-yard net. Scott had a 28-yard punt out of bounds at the Las Vegas 21-yard line, a 51-yarder for a fair catch at the Las Vegas 32, a 52-yarder for a fair catch at the Las Vegas 9, a 55-yarder for a touchback, a 56-yarder with a 7-yard return to the Las Vegas 34, a 49-yarder for a touchback and a 41-yarder with a 21-yard return to the Las Vegas 48.

Seattle Seahawks 26, Denver Broncos 20

· Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Jarran Reed started at defensive end for the Seahawks. Reed did not record any stats.

· Broncos linebacker Drew Sanders is on the physically-unable-to-perform list and not eligible to play.

· Patrick Surtain II started at cornerback for the Broncos. Surtain made six tackles and broke up one pass.

· Broncos cornerback Levi Wallace did not record any stats in his first game with Denver. Wallace joined Denver as a free agent in the offseason.

Dallas Cowboys 33, Cleveland Browns 17

· Browns cornerback Tony Brown is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Browns guard Javion Cohen (Central-Phenix City) was designated as a game-day inactive. Cohen made Cleveland’s roster as an undrafted rookie.

· Amari Cooper started at wide receiver for the Browns. Cooper had two receptions for 16 yards in his first game against his former team. Dallas traded Cooper to Cleveland in 2022.

· Trevon Diggs started at cornerback for the Cowboys. Diggs made five tackles, intercepted one pass and broke up another in his first game since Sept. 17, 2023. A knee injury sustained in practice caused Diggs to miss the final 15 games of the 2023 season. With 19 interceptions, Diggs is tied for ninth among Alabama’s NFL alumni with Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. On Sunday, Diggs picked off Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson at the Dallas 22-yard line with 9:06 left to play.

· Jerome Ford started at running back for the Browns. Ford ran for 44 yards and one touchdown on 12 carries and caught six passes for 25 yards. Ford scored on a 2-yard run with 29 seconds to play.

· Jerry Jeudy started at wide receiver for the Browns. Jeudy had three receptions for 25 yards and one touchdown in his first game with Cleveland. Jeudy joined the Browns in an offseason trade with the Denver Broncos. He scored on a 6-yard pass from quarterback Deshaun Watson with 8:42 left in the third quarter.

· Browns tight end Cameron Latu is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Dalvin Tomlinson started at defensive tackle for the Browns. Tomlinson made three tackles and recorded one sack.

· Browns offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. was designated as a game-day inactive. Wills is recovering from a knee injury that caused him to miss the final nine games of the 2023 season, and he has been a limited participant in practice.

Washington Commanders 37, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20

· Jonathan Allen started at defensive tackle for the Commanders. Allen made two tackles and registered one quarterback hit.

· Buccaneers safety Marcus Banks is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Buccaneers outside linebacker Chris Braswell made one tackle in his NFL debut. Braswell joined Tampa Bay in the second round of the NFL Draft on April 26.

· Commanders defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis made one tackle.

· Daron Payne (Shades Valley) started at defensive tackle for the Commanders. Payne made one tackle.

· Brian Robinson Jr. (Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa) started at running back for the Commanders. Robinson ran for 40 yards and one touchdown on 12 carries and caught three passes for 49 yards. Robinson scored on a 7-yard run as Washington cut Tampa Bay’s lead to 13-7 with 7:17 left in the first half.

Week 1 started on Thursday night, when the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Baltimore Ravens 27-20. On Friday night in Brazil, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Green Bay Packers 34-29.

EAGLES QUARTERBACK JALEN HURTS: ‘WE WEATHERED THE STORM AS A TEAM’

Week 1 concludes on Monday, when the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers square off at 7:15 p.m. CDT at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 will televise the game.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

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Alabama

How To Watch: Michigan vs Alabama in NCAA Tournament Sweet 16

Published

9 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

How To Watch: Michigan vs Alabama in NCAA Tournament Sweet 16

After taking care of business in the first two rounds, the Michigan Wolverines head to Chicago for a tough, but passable second weekend. An Elite Eight draw of either Iowa State (Kenpom No. 7) or Tennessee (No. 14) makes for an interesting matchup, but up first is the Alabama Crimson Tide, who sits 12th in Kenpom with the No. 3 offense but No. 60 defense.

The Tide rolls into the Sweet Sixteen after crushing Hofstra and a JT Toppin-less Texas Tech, but faces its own star-player absence with the ongoing Aden Holloway saga. Michigan is nearly a double-digit favorite, but like a turbocharged Saint Louis, the Alabama offense can be the stuff of nightmares. Every game from here on out is a battle, though, and all things considered, the bracket is set up just fine for the Wolverines.

Sweet Sixteen: No. 1 Michigan (33-3) vs. No. 4 Alabama (25-9)

Date & Time: Friday, March 27, 7:35 p.m. ET
Location: United Center, Chicago, IL
TV/Streaming: TBS

These programs have actually not met in basketball since a neutral site Alabama win back in 2009. Of course, there have been a couple notable football encounters over the past 28 months, which makes it five games on the gridiron this century. It is fitting that these squads now meet in the Sweet Sixteen, as they are arguably the top two schools over the past decade when it comes to combined football and basketball success.

Alabama 2PT Defense: 48.2% (44th)

On paper, it looks like the Bama defense might be able to hang with Michigan’s elite interior shooting, but I struggle to believe the raw numbers. The size mismatch in this game will be apparent right away, as Aiden Sherrell is the only real big in the lineup with Charles Bediako no longer eligible (lol). While the Tide gives up a decent number of threes and plenty of assists, jumpers are not the way to go in this one.

There is a very real chance that the Wolverines just hammer the paint and put up ridiculous efficiency numbers. Aday Mara looks like the x-factor here, and if Sherrell gets in any sort of foul trouble, it might just be too much for the defense to handle. This may turn into a track meet (more below), but this game sets up well for Michigan to score whenever it wants down low.

Alabama 3PT Rate: 53.9% (1st)

With this potential problem in the paint, Nate Oats knows his squad will need to put up big numbers of their own, and like Jalen Milroe rushing the ball himself, the plan is no secret. This is not necessarily the most accurate three-point shooting team in the nation, but the volume figures are substantial. For Alabama to pull off the upset, it must trade threes for twos, and that — unfortunately — is a viable strategy on Friday.

The Wolverines absolutely must close out on all shooters and again entice their opponent to opt for shots inside the arc. Future lottery pick Labaron Philon is the biggest threat, both with his willingness to drive and ability to pass (5.0 APG), but really everyone on the floor is going to be an issue from distance. There have been instances this year where teams just cannot miss from deep, and a repeat of that would be a major concern for Michigan.

Alabama DReb: 67.3% (287th)

The Wolverines’ size advantage should also play a role on the offensive glass, as Alabama has been terrible in defensive rebounding. Though Michigan has fluctuated in its prioritization of grabbing misses, this does feel like the right opportunity to make the most of the offensive possessions with plenty of second-chance points being readily available without a ton of resistance.

Not only does the Tide struggle to clean up the boards, but it also owns takeaway numbers in the bottom-10 of the entire country, while Michigan’s ball security has quietly been very strong to close out the year. This sets up perfectly for a massive offensive output. The pitfalls are the same as always: fluky bounces, careless passes, and an over-reliance on threes. If the Wolverines can stick to their game, the scoreboard is going to be lit up.

Alabama Adj. Tempo: 73 (4th)

Even more than Saint Louis, Alabama wants to run, and when it does, it wants to chuck up threes. This is going to be such a fascinating game to watch, since obviously Michigan will be more than happy to do that going the other way as well, and the Tide’s absolute commitment to getting down the court is what could lead to all of the aforementioned offensive rebounding opportunities.

With this pace, Bama does not grab a ton of offensive rebounds itself, nor does it get to the line often. It does, however, get blocked A TON, which should be fun for all of the Wolverine bigs. How close this game is really comes down to whether or not Alabama’s threes fall. The Tide will run and will hoist up a ton of attempts; make a hearty amount and an upset is possible, but have a tepid outing and this could be a blowout.

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Alabama

Longtime coaching friends Dusty May of Michigan and Nate Oats of Alabama to meet in Sweet 16

Published

22 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Longtime coaching friends Dusty May of Michigan and Nate Oats of Alabama to meet in Sweet 16

CHICAGO — Michigan coach Dusty May remembered when he was an assistant at Eastern Michigan watching 6 a.m. practices at Romulus High near Detroit.

At the time, Nate Oats was coaching boys’ basketball and teaching physical education at the school. The two forged a friendship that’s going strong 20 years later.

From a high school gym to the Sweet 16, May and Oats will be on opposing sides when top-seeded Michigan (33-3) meets fourth-seeded Alabama (25-9) in the NCAA Tournament’s Midwest Region semifinals on Friday.

“To get to where he is now, I don’t think you ever think that,” May said. “You don’t ever anticipate them getting to this level where they’re (at the) top of the profession but you know they’re really, really good because so much has to happen.”

Oats has led Alabama to a 170-72 record and five trips to the Sweet 16 in seven seasons after a successful run at Buffalo. The Crimson Tide are in the regional semifinals for the fourth year in a row.

Oats has been mentioned as a potential candidate for the North Carolina job, though he insisted he has “absolutely no reason to leave” to leave Alabama. He led the Crimson Tide to the Final Four two years ago and got a new contract during that run. He’s now in talks with the school about another extension.

Oats played at Division III Maranatha Baptist University in his hometown of Watertown, Wisconsin, and began his coaching career as an assistant at his alma mater in the late 1990s.

Michigan head coach Dusty May looks on during the second half against Saint Louis in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. Credit: AP/Jeffrey T. Barnes

“On March 15, my salary went up $500,000,” Oats said. “I still can’t believe I’m getting paid this much. I’m coaching basketball. Guys, I did this thing free at Maranatha for three years. I got paid $500 out of the Warhawk fund at (Wisconsin-Whitewater) a year for the next two years. I made $4,700 a year for 11 years. … Glorified PE teacher making too much money right now. I’m not going to complain.”

May has done well for himself, too.

He coached Florida Atlantic for six years and led the school to a surprising Final Four appearance. Michigan has reached the Sweet 16 in each of his two seasons. And if the Wolverines beat Alabama, they’ll set the program record for wins in a season.

“He’s the same guy that I knew as an assistant at Eastern Michigan,” Oats said. “With all the success he’s had, his ego hasn’t gotten any bigger, and I think that speaks a lot to the character of the guy.”

That’s something that stood out to Oats when he was at Romulus. Some recruiters seemed to be using him simply to get to his players. But May wasn’t like that.

“Dusty was one of those guys that was genuine, real, smart, and worked hard. … We got to be very close because we were both young basketball junkies trying to learn every which way possible,” Oats said.

Through a friend of May’s who worked for the Chicago Bulls at the time, they got to spend five days at the Bulls’ training camp when Scott Skiles was the coach. They remained close after May left Eastern Michigan. He helped Oats get his first Division I job, as an assistant at Buffalo under Bobby Hurley in 2013.

At the time, May was on Mike White’s staff at Louisiana Tech. White’s brother Danny was the AD at Buffalo, and he put in a call when Hurley told him he was planning to hire Oats.

“Danny called Mike and Mike asked me, ‘Hey, this is your friend. Can you put your name on him?’” May said. “I said, ‘Absolutely. He’ll be as good or better than anyone he can hire as an assistant coach at Buffalo.’ It was the same deal when he moved him to the head coach. They’d done a great job recruiting, and that left a major mark on the success of coach Hurley’s teams.”

More recently, Oats has left his mark on Alabama. And May has done the same at Michigan.

“He texted me last night and asked what hotel we were staying at,” Oats said. “I thought we were staying next to him. I didn’t talk to him about our basketball game. I talked to him about other stuff.”

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Alabama

Gov. Ivey orders flags to half-staff honoring fallen Alabama airmen

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Gov. Ivey orders flags to half-staff honoring fallen Alabama airmen

Governor Kay Ivey on Wednesday issued an updated directive calling for the lowering of all flags to half-staff across the state of Alabama on Monday, March 30, 2026, in honor of three Alabama Airmen who lost their lives in service to their country on March 12, 2026.

Below is Gov. Ivey’s flag-lowering directive.

“I authorize the lowering of flags at the Capitol Complex in Montgomery and statewide on Monday, March 30, 2026, in honor of U.S. military service members stationed in Alabama, who lost their lives on March 12, 2026, during an accident involving their KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft while operating in support of Operation Epic Fury. These fallen military personnel served in the 99th Air Refueling Squadron of the 117th Air Refueling Wing located at Sumpter Smith Joint Air National Guard Base in Birmingham.
“Major John A. “Alex” Klinner, 33, a resident of Trussville, Alabama and graduate of Auburn University, served as chief of squadron standardization and evaluations. An eight-year Air Force veteran, Maj. Klinner’s awards include the Air Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Aerial Achievement Medal, and the Air and Space Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster. He is survived by his wife, Libby, and their three young children.
“Major Ariana G. Savino, 31, served as chief of current operations. A native of Washington state, Maj. Savino was a graduate of Central Washington University and Air Force ROTC, with over 300 combat hours. Her awards include the Air Medal and Air Space Commendation Medal.
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“Technical Sergeant Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, served as an assistant flight chief of operations. A native of Kentucky, Tech Sgt. Pruitt received two associate’s degrees from the Community College of the Air Force and had over 900 combat flight hours. She is survived by her husband, Gregory, a young daughter and stepson.
“To honor these brave Airmen who gave their lives in service to our country, I am directing all flags to be lowered from sunrise until sunset on Monday, March 30, 2026, the day of funeral services for Alabama native Major John A. Klinner.”

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